Which one beats the other – iOS 11 or Android O

The debate of the OS’s supremacy between Google and Apple takes on a new level this fall. Both iOS 11 and Android O are up for formal launches this year, and it is really difficult to judge which one is better of the two. It is all about catching the fancy of the mobile users, saving efforts and giving ‘cooler’ power to the mobile.

It really depends on the features that are being compared really. Android app developers in Mumbai and iOS app development can leverage these features into their solutions for smarter apps to support their clients.

Here’s a quick round-up of the new snazzy features of each OS:

iOS 11

Always a winner and being the preferred OS amongst Apple loyalists, the new iOS 11 is all set to take the experience of mobile first to a new plane altogether. The focus is to do away with the cluttered feel that too many features by simplifying the usage piggybacking on ease of usability and smart functionality. A sneak-peak into what’s coming:

Apple Pay is set to be a runaway hit with the new convenience to pay your friends directly via iMessage.

Multiple speakers to play audio from the phone for an enhanced effect.

Enrapturing AR on iPhone.

Apple Maps will now show you even the inside of buildings.

DND feature to send message to your callers whilst you drive.

Compression to save memory space for photos and live photos, which will be a boon to improved camera quality.

Machine learning in Photos app to create memories categorised according to location, date, and even the photo’s content.

Android O

Proponents of Google would welcome the well-thought of changes in the new OS, where small improvements can make a huge impact. No glorifying or revolutionary changes, yet incremental roll-outs which speak about their planned and slow selective approach. The focus is on higher usability and ease, with must-haves taking precedence over like-to feature, which can be engaged in Android programming as well. A round-up reveals:

Set different notification channels for groups apps in various categories with varying levels.

Snoozing notifications for specific time-period.

Auto-fill which allows populating passwords across different apps to save time.

Improved battery life.

Picture-in-picture, that allows you to reduce a video or Google Maps navigation screen into a running thumbnail.

Better organization with a new section called “Connected Devices” which comprises of both Bluetooth and casting.

So, which is better? Let’s compare!

Messaging

Here iOS is the leader with the cool Apple Pay, whereas Google requires you to download a separate app for paying, the messaging being just what it is basically intended to do.

Voice Assistant

Siri is now set to be more intelligent and human. It will have a male voice, and intelligently predict what you want next. Google’s Android Assistant, Google Search and Google Voice are new avatars that can identify objects on-the-go via Google Lens and type queries about the same. Definitely Android wins hands-down here.

AR/VR

Google’s AR guru called Tango and VR master called Google Daydream are way ahead of Apple. A company which is engaged in Android app development in India can use these features of the OS to build better capabilities and smarter apps which take the experience of AR/VR to newer levels. But with Apple’s new to-be-launched AR Toolkit, things may just reverse.

What’s the verdict?

There is no clear winner, and both Google and Apple may have a few surprise jack-pot features up their sleeves. These could well be kept secret till the launch of iPhone 8 and Google Pixel 2. Also, being the 10th iPhone anniversary year, there could be some more buzz awaited from the Apple camp.

A look at Google’s existing capabilities shows that multiple-speaker support is already there. Android O is being touted as a much faster boot-up and runtime OS than earlier versions. Yet, Google poses itself for a wowing quotient that targets the tech-savvy users, whilst Apple targets empowering the average user. It will actually again depend on the loyalty vs. versatility that has been the driving factor for both the brands and the new chapter will be interesting to watch as the OS story unfolds itself this fall.